Method and means for producing metallic coatings on articles such as type forms and the like



y 1930- v N. ARVIDSON' 5 3 METHOD'AND MEANS FOR PRODUCINGg-"METALLIC COATXNGS ON I ARTICLES SUCH AS TYPE FORMS AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 22, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 41 N. ARVIDSON July 1, 1930.

. 1,769,363 METHOD AND MEANS FOR PRODUCING METALLIC COATINGS ON ARTICLES SUCH'AS TYPE FORMS AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 22, 1924 laz Patented July 1,1930

:tJNITED STATES NILS anvinson', on cmcneo, ILLInoIs mnrnon AND MEANS- non Application filed December 22', 1924,,Seria1 no. 7556.54.-

My invention relates to improvements in means and methods for producing a metallic coating on articles, particularly such as type forms, cuts, etc.,which coatingfcan later e 5 stripped oif and used in the production of duplicates of the article coated. In other words, my invention relates to novel means and methods of accomplishing the same result as is now done by the well known electrotype process of the reproduction and duplication of type. forms etc, but in a much .quicker, cheaper, and more satisfactory manner. 7

My invention includes the production of I a suitable" metal in moltenjform and delivered in a relatively small stream, and the atomizing, driving and compacting of this molten metal upon the article to be coated. While many inventors have worked along these lines, so far as I am aware, none of them has succeeded in producing a method which has merit suificient to cause its adoption in lieu of the well known, though not wholly satisfactory electrotype methods.

One feature of importance inherent. in my novel method is that the article can be I coated in a very short time and as-soon as this is done the coating can immediately be stripped off and made use of as a matrix in the production of copies of the original.

Bymeans of my novel method the time required to produce a copy of the original.

The elecis reduced to but a few minutes. trotype method requires a certain time to es deposit the metal by electricity and the ing two wires to a point where they are fused by an electric current, in combination with an electromagnetic circuit-breaker by which an electric arc is produced and by whichthe wires are fused.

The preferred form of my mechanism includes means for feed- My invention will be more readily underrnonucme METALLIC confines ON'ARTTGLES suon AS TYPE FORMS AND HE LIKE stood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which I have illustrated m novel means for practicing my improved method, and in which:

Figure 1, is a top plan view partly diagranunatic, of my improved apparatus;

Figure 2, is a side elevation of the apparatus shown in'Figure' 1'; and

' Figure 3, is a side'elevation of a slightly modified'form of apparatus.

In the apparatus illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, 1 illustrates a suitable frame upon which the several parts of the apparatus are mounted. I provide supplies of two fusible wires 2 and 3, preferably by providing two" spools of the wire 4.and 5, res 'ectively, ro-

tatabl ymounted on one end 0 the frame 1 from which the wire can be unrolled' as needed. At the opposite end of the frame I provide an impeller 6 in the form of .apadle wheel, having radial arms 7. The paddle wheel is preferably mounted with its axis vertical. It is secured on a vertical shaft 8. Any suitable means may be provided to rotate the impeller, such as hori-- zontal shaft 9, carrying a belt pulley 10 and:

geared to the shaft 8 by the bevel wheels 11.

Preferably I incline the outer ends 7' of the impeller arms 7, to-their direction of motion, so that as the strike the moltenmetal there will be a .ten ency to deflect and spread the molten metal over a relatively large area. This spreading of the metal tends to produce a more evenly applied coating of the metal on the article being coated. I

' I provide means for feeding the two wires 2 and 3 in such a way as to be brought into contact with each other at'a point in proximit to the sweep of the ends of the arms 7 of the impeller 6 as the same is rotated. The wire"feeding and guiding means consists of pairs of upper and lower feed rolls 12 and-I 13, respectively,between which thetwo wiresare guided by suitable guides 14 and 15, arranged at the two sides of the pairs of rolls.

The upper and lower rolls'are mounted on parallel horizontal shafts 16 and 17 respec tively,- and theshafts can be arranged tobind and' feed the wires by any suitable means could be wire leads to the electrormagnet and the such that means, such as movably mounting the lower shaft 17 in relation to the up r shaft and providing springs 18 for yieldmgly holding the shaft 17 pressed toward the shaft 16.

Preferably I make the springs 18 adjustable as to pressure by adjustable screws 19.

I have indicated a simple means for rotatthe ratchet wheel is rotated the space of one tooth. It is obvious that other simple feed ro'vided.

For guiding t e wires to meet at a point in proximity to the ends of the impeller.

arms, I provide two guide tubes 24 and 25 for the wires 2 and 3, res ectivel which are inclined to each other an their diiliver ends 26 and 27, respectively, are arrange close together and ai lg'lacent to the periphery of the impeller. e guide tubes are made of insulation material so that I can make use of an electric current to fuse the wires.-

Preferably I make the guide tubes 24 and 25 relatively slightly movable to permit the separation ofgthe ends ofthe wires for the production of an electric arc for the purpose of fusing the wires I have shown the guide tube 25 as fixed and the guide tube 24 as hingedl' mounted at its rear end at 28, so that its f brward or delivery end 26 can be swung from and toward t e delivery end 27 of the tube 25. I provide means, such as the spring 29, for

. yieldingly holding the delivery ends 26 and 27 of the guide tubes close togetherso as normally to retain the free ends of the wires 2 and 3 in contact with each other.

For the purpose of drawing'the ends of the guide tubes 24 and-25 apart for separating the free ends of the wires, I provide an electro-magnet indicated at 30 which, when energized is adapted to attract a soft iron armature 31 secured to the movable guide tube24 and swing this tube on its pivot 28 away" from the other'guidetube. Between the'wire guides 15 and the adjacent ends of the guide tubes, I provide spring contacts 32 and 33 for the wires 2 and 3, respectively,

through which means I connect the two wires with a suitable source of electricity 34. It is understood, of course, that the construction of the apparatus is such that the wires 2 and 3 are insulated from each other so that when their. free ends are brought into contact with each other an electric circuit, including the ends of the wires, can be closed; One circuit other to one of the fusible wires, and the other fusible wire is connected to the elecfor each revolution of the shaft 9 I tro-ma net windin By this means when the en s of the fusible wires are in contact, and the electric circuit is closed, the magnet is energized and serves to separate the ends of the wires. The breaking of the circuit by the separation of the wires produces an electric are which serves to fuse the .ends of the wires. At the same time the impeller is rotating at a relativel high speed and the free ends of the im el er arms are arranged to strike the metal as it is fused and knock it into a fine spray of molten metal driving it downwardly and tending to spread it over a considerable area.

The aim and object of my invention is to provide a simple and reliable means for producing a spray of molten metal, particularly for the purpose of producing a thin I substantially even coat of metal upon such an article as a type or printing form or'cut which it is desired to reproduce. As illustrative, merely of the use and purpose of my invention, 1- have shown such an article to be coated at 35. It is obvious that suitable means could be provided for movin the article about under thespray pro uced by my apparatus, so that the whole exposed surface of the article could be coated as desired.

Instead of the roduction of the molten metal by means 0 an electric current, as illustrated in Figures. 1 and 2, I sometimes have indicated a suitable a paratus for. this purpose. In this instance provide a pot 40 to contain the .metal and a suitable source of heat, such as a gas burner/41 beneath the pot for melting the metal. Leading out from the pot is a delivery spout or tube 42, and beneath the delivery tube I arrange a gas burner 43 to keep the metal'hot as it flows through the tube. Adjacent to the end of the tube I arrange an impeller 44, preferably in this instance, on a horizontal shaft and rotatable by any suitable means. The impeller is arranged so that the ends of its arms sweep past the delivery end of the feed tube 42 and strike the metal falling out of the tube and are adapted to knock the molten metal into extremely fine particles and articles with metal which includes the provision ofa substantially constant feed of a stream, whereby the stream is broken upinr to substantially infinitesimal particles and driven against a surface to be coated with the metal.

3. In a mechanism of the kind and for the purpose described, a means for guiding two fusible wires to a point of contact, a source of electric current for fusing the wires, the wires forming part of the electric circuit, electro-magnet means operable by the same electric current for separating the two wires at their point of contact,-whereby the circuit is broken at said point and the wires fused, means for striking the metal as fused and breaking it into substantially infinitesimal particles and impelling the particles against a surface to be coated, means for operating the striker and means cooperating therewith for feeding the wires to the point of contact. I

4. In a mechanism of the kind described, electrical means for feeding two fusible wires into contact in a fusing zone, electrical I means for fusing the wires in said zone, and

a rotatable member provlded with arms, p

each provided with a palm-like surface at its ends adapted to strike the stream to break it into substantially infinitesimal particles and to drive theparticles in the form of a widely divergent spray-like stream against a surface to be coated.

In a mechanism for the purpose de-. scribed, two guide tubes of insulation material adapted to guide two fusible wires,

the guides adapted to direct the wires so that their free ends contact at a 'meltingzone, a

, source of supply of electric current, the wires adapted to form part of the circuit, the electric current sufficient to fuse the wires as they are separated, means for'vibrating one of the tubes to alternately separatethe wires and bring them together again, a rotatable member havi ngarms provided on their ends with surfaces adapted to pass through the set my 7. The method of coating articles with metal which includes the provision of a substantially constant feed of a relatively small stream of the metal in a molten state, dividing the stream into relatively small sections and independently driving the sections against the article to be coated, the article.

being located at such a distance that the metal is still in a molten state when it strikes the article and a sheet of the metal is produced on the surface being coa ted.

8.1The method of coating a printing form or the like with metal which -method consists in providing a substantially constant feed of a relatively small stream of the metal in a molten state, subjecting the stream to a rapid succession of separate and distinct blows, thereby dividing the stream into a succession of relatively small distinct sections' and driving the sections independently against the form to be covered, the form bein state to form a sheet covering the form. 1

9. The herein described method of. covering printing forms and such like articles with a coating of metal, which includes the provision of a substantially constant stream of the metal in a molten condition and the application of a rapid succession of blows upon the stream, and thereby breaking up the stream into infinitesimal particles and driving them with relatively great, violence located at sucha distance that the meta strikes the form in a sufliciently molten against the article to be coated, the article bein located at such a distance that'the artlcles are still in molten condition when they strike the article.

- 10. In a mechanism of the kind described,

means. for producing a substantially constant stream of molten metal in combination with an impeller in the form of a-rapidly rotatable member, having arms arranged at an angle other than a right angle to the plane of rotation and adapted to strike the streamand break it into infinitesimal particles and drive them against a surface to be coated.

In 'testimony whereof, I- have hereuntohand, this 16th day of December,

NILS ARVIDSON.

metal meltin zone and impel the metal rapid succession of blows 'on the stream,

whereby the stream is broken up into substantially infinitesimal particles and driven against a surface to be coated with the metal; 

